Lighting device



Sept. 18, 1934. H. E. TOELLE LIGHTING DEVICE Fj,'lgd Jan. 5. 19,31

Patented Sept. 18, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIGHTING DEVICE Application January 5, 1931, Serial No. 506,548

12 Claims.

My invention relates to lighting devices, and more particularly to lighting devices of the general type commonly employed for lighting the burners of gas stoves, ranges and the like.

Where the pilot ame of a device of this sort is extinguished without closing off the flow of gas for maintaining such flames, as, for example, by lack of oxygen, a draft of air, or by liquid boiling over the sides of a vessel placed over the burner of the stove, range or the like, the escape of unburned gas from the lighter is entailed, and where the person at the stove opens a burner and manipulates the lighter but without lighting the burner because the lighter is extinguished, unburned gas also escapes from the burner.

My present invention contemplates an improvement for guarding against the escape of unburned gas from the lighter where the pilot flame is extinguished as above pointed out, and also for guarding against the escape of unburned gas from the burner where the gas cock therefor is opened with the lighter extinguished.

More particularly my present invention provides for automatically closing off both the lighter and the burner or group of burners, and more specifically the gas manifold which feeds the burners and the lighter, where the pilot flame is extinguished, as above pointed out.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an arrangement embodying my present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the gas manifold valve shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the lighter illustrated in Figure 1 with the hood of the torch head and the gas manifold in section on substantially the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a detail sectional View taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4; and

Figures 6 and '7 are views similar to Figure 2 showing modifications of the gas manifold valve arrangement.

In Figure 1 of the drawing the usual gas manifolds 5 and 6 are illustrated along the side and front, respectively, of the range. The manifolds 5 and 6 are connected by the elbow coupling '7, and the gas burners are illustrated at 8, these burners being fed from the manifold 6 by the usual feed pipes 9. to which air isadmitted, in the usual manner, at the outer ends 10 nearest the manifold 6. Gaseous fuel is led into the feed pipes 9 from the manifold 6 by way of the nozzle pipes 11 in which nozzle pipes 11 the usual gas cocks 12 are provided.

Gas ranges commonly embody a number of burners, usually four, whichnumber of burners are illustrated for purposes of illustration of this invention, but it is to be understood that the number and arrangement of burners may vary so far as the present invention is concerned.

The lighter is provided in appropriate proximity to the burners 8 and comprises a tube 14 leading from the manifold 6 and terminating in a torch head l5 appropriately disposed relative to the burners 8. In the' illustrated embodiment the torch head is disposed centrally between the burners 8. A protecting hood 16 is mounted over the lighter tip 17 of the torch head upon a flanged collar 18 clamped upon the upturned end 19 of the tube 14 between nut members 20. The hood 16 has four openings 21 in the circular side wall, each in line with the respective burner 8, it being understood that the hood 16 may have additional openings as and Where desired, an opening through the top of the hood being illustrated at 22.

The lighter tip 17 is threaded upon the upturned end 19 of the tube 14 and internally this tip is in open communication with the interior of the tube 14, and the wall of the tip has four ports 23 directed radially in line with the centers of the openings 2l, respectively.

At the end of the tube 14 near the manifold 6 the valve 24 is provided. This valve is of the type well known which has a constant by-pass adjustable by a valve screw 25, and which valve 24 when the button 26 is depressed effects the flow of a greatly increased quantity of gas to the torch head of the lighter. A coupling 27 is interposed between the valve 24 and the tube 14. By this arrangement a pilot flame 54 is maintained at the four ports 23 by the gas by-passed by the valve 24, and where a burner 8 is to be ignited its gas cock 12 is opened and the button 26 is depressed to admit the flow of the greatly increased quantity of gas which causes the pilot ame to be projected or flashed radially outwardly through the openings 21 far enough to ignite the particular burner 8, the gas cock 12 of which has been opened.

A valve 30 is interposed in the manifold 5. The valve 30 illustrated is of a type well known which has a rotatable conical valve plug 31 mounted in a conical bore 32 in the valve body 33 which is appropriately interposed between sections forming the manifold 5. The plug 31 has a port 34 which in one position of the plug registers with the interior of the sections forming the manifold 5 and permits the gas to pass unrestricted through the manifold 5 to the manifold 6 to be fed to the lighter and the respective burners 8 in the usual manner. The other position of the plug 31 is attained by rotation of the plug through and this position the port 34 is disposed crcsswise in the interior of the manifold 5, the plug 31 in this position closing off the iow of gas to the manifold 6 and thereby to the burners 8 and torch head 1-5.

'I'he valve plug 31 may have ground flt in the conical bore 32 and may be tightly seated in this bore 32 by a coiled spring 36 Ysurrounding a depending integral stem 37 on the bottom of the plug and interposed between the bottom of the valve body 33 and a head 38 at the bottom of the stem 37.

A thermalsensitiveV element 40 in the form of a bimetallic strip comprising two metal laminations of different coeicients of expansion is looped up at 41 Within the hood 16 with the lower end of one depending leg of the thermal sensitive element 40 turned angularly at 42 and clamped upon the up'turned end 19 of the lighter tube between the nut members 20. The lower end of the opposite dependlng'leg 43 of the thermal sensitive element 40 dependts down through an opening 44 in the collar'l8 andY below the lower end of the hood 16 and is connected through a link 45 with the valve plug 31. The link 45 may be relatively rigid and operated in both directions by the thermal sensitive element 40, but where this link is operated in one direction only by the thermal sensitive Ielement 40 .this is unnecessary. The connection of the link 45 to the plug 31 is indicated at 46, and the connection of the link to the lower end of the thermal sensitive element 40 is indicated at 47. A lug 50 on the plug 31 operates between stop members 51 and 52 on the1V valve body 33, engagement of the lug VY50 with the stop member 51 limiting turning movement of the plug 31 in a counter-clockwise direction and engagementV of the lug 50 with the stop mem-V ber 52 limiting turning movement of the plug 31Y or by liquid boiling over the sides of a vessel placed over a burner;V of the range, the dropin temperature upon the thermal sensitive element 40 by reason of the absence of the heat of the pilot flame results in warping of the lower end of the leg 43 of the element 40'in a direction away from the valve 30 with the results that the accompanying pull on the link 45 turns the valve plug 31 to Vclosed position and thereby automatically closes of; the manifold 5, not only against the delivery of gas to the lighter, but also against delivery of gas to the burners 8.

In order to open the valve 30 a person at the range may apply a lighted match t6 the thermal sensitive element 40 to heat the same suiciently to open the valve 30, or as shown in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 5, means at 56 adjacent the flashing button 26 may be provided for manually turning the plug 31 of the valve 30 to open position. The means at 56 is in the form of a trigger pivoted at 57 upon a fitting 58V mounted upon the lighter extension adjacent thevalve 24. The

trigger 56 has abutton Y58 at one end and the opposite end is connected to a flexible cable wire 59 commonly known as a Bowden wire which comprises an outer flexible cable portion and an inner shiftable flexible actuating wire connected at 60 with the valve plug 3l and at 6l with the trigger 56. This flexible cable wire 59 has support within its length at 62, 62 and is turned in proximity to :the torch head 15 at 63 out to the valve 30. By depressing the button 58 the actuating wire is drawn toward the valve 24 and turns the plug 31 to open position so that the pilot flame 54 may be lighted by applying a match to the torch head, and any of the burners 8 may be turned on and lighted by opening the respective gas cock therefor. i

'Ihe opening of the valve 30 also resets through the link 45lthe thermal sensitive element V,40 to the position which this element takes under the head of the pilot flame 54, and the heat of the pilot upon lighting same, as above pointed out, retains the thermal sensitive element in valve open position after the trigger 56 is released and until the pilot light is extinguished whereupon this element 40 operates to again automatically close oil the gas supply to both the lighter and the burners of the stove. A spring 65 may be connected between the valve plug 31 and the valve body 33 for yieldingly holding the valve plug 31 in open position, the warpinggof the thermal sensitive elementi Ymanually by means of the trigger 56 or by heating the thermal sensitive element.

In Figure 6 the connection for manually opening the valve 36 is omitted, the spring 65 yieldingly holding the valve in open position and the warping of the thermal sensitive element when the pilot llame is extinguished-being suiiicient to automatically close thevalve and hold same closed against the tension of the spring 65 as before. In this case, however, the valve 30 may be opened by applying a lighted Ymatch to heat the thermal sensitive element suliciently to permit the valve to be opened by the spring 65', the presence of the match at the torch head being adapted to simultaneously light the pilot flame as the valve 30 is opened and the pilotflame will thereupon maintain-the valve'30' open, it being understood that when the pilot flame is extinguished the valve 30 will be automatically closed bythe thermal sensitive element as before.'

The valve' 30" of Figure 7 corresponds with the valve 30 of Figures l, 2 and 3 except that instead of being provided with remote control means for manually opening the same the valve plug 31" of this valve is provided with a handle 68 directly at the valve for manually opening the same.

I claim:

l. In combination, a gas range having a plurality of gas burners, a lighter tube for said burners, said lighter tube having a torch head provided with means for maintaining a pilot flame, a gas manifold along the side of the range, a gas manifold along the front of the range and connected with said last manifold and with the burners and lighter for feeding gas thereto, a thermal sensii range and connected with said valve for opening the same.

2. In combination, a gas manifold, burners individually connected to said manifold, a lighter tube connected to said manifold and having a lighter tip for maintaining a pilot flame, a thermally sensitive element disposed adjacent said flame and responsive thereto, a valve disposed in said manifold anterior to the burner connections and said lighter tube connection, a link between said thermally* sensitive element and said valve for closing said valve when the pilot flame is extinguished, spring means tending to maintain said valve open, and means adjacent said lighter tube connected to said manifold and having extending means connected to said valve for manually opening said valve.

3. In combination, a gas manifold, burners individually connected to said manifold, a lighter tube connected to said manifold and having a lighter tip for maintaining a pilot flame, a thermally sensitive element disposed adjacent said flame and responsive thereto, a valve disposed in said manifold anterior to the burner connections, a link between said thermally sensitive element and said valve for closing said valve when the flame is extinguished, a pivoted control member mounted adjacent said lighter` tube and flexible control means carried along said lighter tube and adjacent said link, and operable to open said valve against the opposition of said thermally sensitive member when said flame is extinguished.

4. In combination, a gas manifold, burners individually connected to said manifold, a lighter tube connected to said manifold and having a lighter tip for maintaining a pilot flame, a thermally sensitive element disposed adjacent said llame and responsive thereto, a valve disposed in said manifold anterior to said burners, a link between said thermally sensitive element and said valve for closing said valve when the pilot flame is extinguished, spring means tending to maintain the valve open, a pivoted control member mounted adjacent said lighter tube, and flexible control means carried along said lighter tube and adjacent said link, and operable to open said valve against the opposite thermally sensitive member when said flame is extinguished.

5. In combination, in a domestic gas range, a gas manifold, a burner connected thereto, a lighter tube connected thereto, a tip on said lighter tube for maintaining a pilot flame, manually operable means adjacent said manifold and mounted on said lighter tube for supplying an increased amount of fuel to said lighter tip, a valve in said manifold anterior to said burner and said lighter tube, spring means normally holding said valve open, a thermally sensitive element adjacent said lighter tip and responsive to the heat of said pilot flame, said thermally sensitive element having a link carried at one end thereof and connected to said valve to close said valve when the flame is extinguished, pivoted lever means adjacent said manually operable means, and flexible motion transmitting means extending from said pivoted lever means to said valve for manually opening said valve.

6. In combination, a gas range having a plurality of open top burners, a gas manifold extending along the front of the range, a gas tube extending along the side of the range and connected to said manifold, a lighter extending from said manifold and having a lighter head in proximity to said burners, a valve in the gas tube along the side of the burners, thermally sensitive means disposed at the lighter head' and connected to close automatically said valve upon extinguishment of the lighter, and means at the front of said range and supported along said lighter tube for manually opening said valve.

7. In combination, a gas range having a plurality of open top burners, a gas manifold extending along the front of the range, a gas tube extending along the side of the rangeand connected to said manifold, a lighter tube connected with said manifold and having a lighter head in proximity to said burners, a valve in the gas tube along the side of the burners, thermal sensitive means disposed at the lighter head and connected to close automatically said valve upon extinguishment'of the lighter, and manually operable control means adjacent the connection of the front end of the lighter tube with the front manifold for opening said valve in the gas tube along the side of the range.

8. In combination, a gas manifold, a plurality of burners individually connected to said manifold, a pilot burner positioned between said burners and having a lighter tube connected to said manifold between said burner connections, a valve in said manifold anterior to said connections, thermally sensitive means responsive to the heat of said pilot burner for closing said valve, and flexible motion transmitting means extending from said manifold along said lighter tube and adjacent to said pilot burner to said valve for manually opening said valve regardless of the position of said thermally sensitive means.

9. In combination, a gas manifold, a burner connected. thereto, a lighter tube connected to said manifold on one side of said burner connection, a valve in said manifold on the opposite side of said burner connection, a pilot burner supported at the end of said lighter tube, thermally sensitive means responsive to the heat of said pilot burner for closing said valve, a lever pivoted on said lighter tube adjacent its connection to said manifold, and flexible motion transmitting means connected between said lever and said valve and operable by said lever to open said valve.

10. In combination, a gas manifold, a burner connected with said manifold, a lighter separately connected with said manifold, said lighter having a torch head provided with means for maintaining a pilot flame, a rotatable valve in said manifold, means connected directly to said valve and extending in proximity to said pilot flame and including means responsive to the heat of said pilot llame for automatically rotating said valve to closed position when said pilot flame is extinguished, and means for opening said valve against the opposition of said closing means comprising a manually operable member carried by said lighter and having motion transmitting means extending to said rotatable valve.

1l. In combination, a plurality of gas burners, a lighter burner disposed centrally thereof, a gas manifold having independent connection to each of said burners, a valve in said manifold anterior to said connections, a pivoted lever member mounted on the connection of said lighter burner to said manifold and operable independently of said lighter burner connection and flexible motion transmitting means extending from said lever to said valve for operating said valve from said lever independently of lighter burner connection, and thermally sensitive means responsive to the heat of said lighter burner for closing said valve upon extinguishment of said lighter burner. I

12. In combination, a lighter burner for maintaining a pilot flame, a fuel supply conduit connected thereto, a gas manifold having a portion extending normal to and communicating with said conduit and a portion extending parallel thereto, a valve disposed in the parallelly extending portion of said manifold, a thermally sensi-m HERBERT E. TOELLE. 

